Sister Acacia
Sister Acacia is a highly-trained warrior priest, born and raised in the township called Crest. At birth, she was named in honor of Saint Aca and, befitting this, given up by her parents to the Father's House. Although she kept in touch with her blood family, Acacia was taught and nurtured by the church. At sixteen, Acacia defected from her chosen path as an administrative Sister of Aca, electing instead to take up arms in the name of Saint Vilaya. Trained (somewhat ironically) at Saint Aca's cult city, known coloquially as the Helm, Acacia grew into one of Phila's finest warriors. Since then, she has been given the highest honor that Vilaya's devoted can receive, and now works as a church executioner. Appearance Like all members of her order, Sister Acacia wears custom-made armor and a white cloak. Although her armor is unique to her, the cloak is uniform, and is the primary symbol of the Sisters of Vilaya. All throughout Phila and beyond, the White of Vilaya is instantly recognizable and deeply respected. Sister Acacia has a disarmingly delicate face, offset by a naturally stern expression. Her hair is jet-black, frames her face and is cut at her neck. She is tall, lean but by no means petite, Her eyes, a dark blue, always appear closed-off, as if she is communing with something other than the people around her; which, considering her devotion to her Father in Heaven, is probably true. Personality When she was small, Acacia was quiet and reserved, often nervous around others and unable to properly defend herself when pressed. Though still quiet and reserved, as Acacia grew, she gained massively in confidence. As a high-ranking Sister of Vilaya, Acacia is constantly on guard, unwavering and stern. This is not to say that Acacia is heartless, merely that she is wholly devoted to God and His teachings. She is concerned with so-called "celestial dealings," meaning that she takes orders only from the Father Himself, and leaves petty crimes to lower-ranked officials and local militias. Do not expect Acacia to apprehend a thief, for example, or break up a barroom brawl. Acacia is a great music lover, a holdover from her previous life as a choir maiden, and the quickest way to set her at ease and gain her good graces is to catch her with a good song. Though she does not sing regularly, it is known by those who know her personally that Acacia often uses music to wind down and calm herself, particularly before religious meditation. History Acacia was born in the small town of Crest to well-bred but not particularly wealthy parents. Named in honor of Saint Aca, Matron of Sacrifice (her name, literally, means "Hammer of Aca"), it was expected that she would grow up to become a high-ranking church administrator. Fitting with this, Acacia was given up to her local church, and adopted by the faithful there. Acacia was formally educated by Sisters of all four Saints, but her lessons were all primarily to do with Aca, and she was fully prepared to follow in the path laid out for her. That was, until she was expected to take part in a vital church ritual and officially take up the mantle of Sisterhood. She was tasked with proving her devotion to Saint Aca by making sacrifices in her secular life for the sake of the divine. Acacia gave her position on her choir to a younger colleague, symbolizing her pride; she gave her musical instruments to a poor family, symbolizing her wealth; and she announced to a village boy, Eric, that she had always admired him, symbolizing her secrets. Her final act was to give up her virginity. During this extremely intimate moment, Acacia received a vision from her Father in Heaven. God delivered to her a glimpse of the future into which she would be placed. He showed her that she would need strength and conviction, more than ascetic virtue, in order to survive. Armed with this knowledge, and with a final vision of Saint Vilaya herself, valiantly defending Her Sisters at the Fountain, Acacia realized what she must do: her place was not in the background. She must place herself on the front lines. Her superiors in the church at Crest were angered and offended at this. Drawing on the old adage of "To teach a lesson, give the people the gifts they ask for," hoping to sway Acacia from this foolhardy path, she was sent off to Saint Aca's cult city, the Helm, to train The Helm is known throughout Phila for turning out the greatest warriors in the civilized world, but this comes with a harrowing sacrifice all its own: more trainees die in the name of joining this fighting force than any war that has ever been fought by those who succeed. As a foreigner, and a woman besides, Acacia had no real chance of ever training with the Helm's men, which she knew was necessary. She beseeched the assistance of the Aklai's Court—the five magistrates who govern the city in the name of their spiritual leader, the mortal avatar of Saint Aca herself, known as the Aklai—in order to make an exception. Kthostra, the only female magistrate, took an interest in Acacia's fervency, and agreed to allow the young acolyte to train. No one was more surprised than the local government at Crest when Acacia emerged from this training not only alive, but as a true warrior. Having taken everything that the Helm could throw at her and conquered it, Acacia was deemed fully ready to take on the mantle of a Sister of Vilaya. As the years continued, Acacia rose in the ranks until the current day, as she now acts as the Chief Executioner in the port city of Allisett, south of the Helm on the western coast of Phila. Affiliations Sister Acacia has been affiliated with the following organizations throughout the course of her life: *House Choir of Crest *Church of Crest *The Helm *The Aklai's Court *The Sisters of Vilaya